Want To Ditch Junk Food? These 5 Tips Can Help You To Start Liking Healthy Food!

Aspiring to eat healthy is much easier than actually doing it. When it's time to choose between a bowl of crisps or potato chips and a bowl of say, nuts or fruits, we tend to reach for the former. Junk foods have somehow penetrated more than ever in our lives, not just because we have a lot many options than we did before, but also because brands are a lot more sneaky nowadays in positioning junk foods. Marketing campaigns for a number of packaged foods can be incredibly misleading and hide the real nutrition facts of these foods and snacks. But it's more important now than ever before for us to turn to healthy eating, because there is some evidence to suggest that fast foods are unhealthier than they were 30 years ago.

A number of common and potentially dangerous lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes, increased stress and even depression have been linked by researchers to diet. There are a number of other factors at play as well, but a poor diet seems to have emerged as a common link between numerous ailments common in urban populations. So how does one practice 'mind over matter' and get themselves to opt for the healthy and nutritious foods every single time? There's a fair bit of practice and discipline involved, but it's something that may actually be done.

Also Read: Here's Why A Healthy Diet May Not Always Work

^{Healthy Diet: Can you get yourself to like nutritious food over junk food?}

Here Are Some Ways That You May Actually Be Able To Get Yourself To Like Healthy Food:

1. Do Your Research: There are no tricks involved when it comes to eating healthy - just a whole lot of logic. Reading about the nutritional information of foods may help you turn unhealthy foods down. Shop for groceries and foods mindfully and read the nutrition labels on your food, so that you're aware of what exactly is going in your food. You can then also compare how many empty calories you might be consuming while scarfing down fast foods.

2. Talk To Experts: On your path to cleaning up your plate and eating healthy, you may be confronted with several confusing and even contradictory diet tips. It's best to clarify your diets by talking to a certified nutritionist or a dietitian only. Your nutritionist will also be able to help you with healthy food alternatives of your favourite dishes, along with complete nutrition profile of these healthy substitutes as compared to unhealthy foods. These experts are also more often than not, aware about best brands that sell healthy food products.

Also Read: Healthify Your Meals: 6 Ways Of Cutting Out Sneaky Calories And Fats From Your Daily Meals

^{Healthy diet: Talk to experts about healthy and practical food swaps}

3. Plan Ahead: A lot many people fail in their healthy diets because of lack of options to their favourite foods. For example, for someone used to eating Chinese takeout for dinner every single day, may not be able to reconcile their mind with the idea of having a salad everyday instead. You can instead look for nutritious alternatives for say, Chinese fried rice, like a brown rice bowl with chicken. Find out multiple alternatives that keep your taste buds excited and satisfied. Variety can literally add spice to your healthy diet.

4. Surround yourself with 'Health Nuts': Not many people may be fond of someone who is a 'health nut' and insists on talking down to people who like junk food. But keeping such people around may also help you keep a check on the amount of junk foods you're eating. Welcome their criticism of your meals and ask them to give you healthy food swaps for popular foods, as well as delicious ways to cook healthy foods. They might also offer tips that helped them stick to their healthy eating habits.

Also Read: Healthy Eating Tips: A Dozen Ways You Are Eating Wrong

^{Healthy Diet: Plan ahead and ask your 'health freak' friends for advice}

5. Be persistent and treat yourself occasionally: It's important to allow your brain some time to get used to the taste of healthy foods like cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, spinach, carrots, etc. Once you eat them persistently over a period of time, your taste buds get used to the flavour and you may end up developing a liking for even these foods. Treat yourself to an occasional pizza or a cheesy burger once in a while. It might actually help you stay motivated.

Once you eat healthy for a long period of time, you will notice certain tell-tale signs of an improved immune system and digestive system, and the quality of your skin may also start improving. Look out for these signs and make a note of them to remind yourself why you started eating healthy in the first place. These 'rewards' are perhaps best for making you like healthy food.

(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)